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180.290.248. 8 Fatemi-leaner). 18, 1883.

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' UNiTED 'STATES Nj PATENT OFFICE.

JOI'IN RUTHERFORD KIRKSEY, OF DYSARTVILLE NORTH CAROLINA.

CAR-COUPLING.

S?EC.IFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,243, dated December 18, 1853.

Application filed April 21, 1883.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN RUTHERFORD KIRKsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dysartville, in the county of Mc- Dowell and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain details of construction in an automatic car coupler, which I will now proceed to describe, and which will afterward be distinctly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings which form a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved coupler, represented as when in use, one on each of the adjacent ends of the car, showing the pivoted latch in both open and closed positions. Fig. 2 is an inverted planl view. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, with latch removed, and Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the coupling-link or clevis.

The device is substantially in the form of a box or casing, with recessed top and bottom portions, leaving a central wall or partition, the latter being perforated or provided with suitable apertures for the levers or rods, which are used to operate the latch and release the link or clevis.

The figures 1 1 represent the end walls, and 2 2 the side walls of the casing. The top of the sidewalls form what may be called flanges77 which project above the middle portion, 12,

and these flanged parts are beveled or made flaring at their front ends, as shown in Fig. 3. Between these upwardly-projecting parts 2 2 is pivoted the latch 3, which is of the same general form as the portion of the casing inside of the vertical flanges or walls 2 2, and having shoulders at the iront end corresponding with the beveled or flaring parts of the casing. The' latch is provided with a lug on its under side, which, resting upon the middle or partition wall, 12, acts as a fulcrum in the operation of opening and closing it, and it is pivoted just above this lug by means of a pin, l3,which is passed through the sides of the frame or casing and transversely throughr the latch.

At the front end of the coupler, on top of (No model.)

the'midfne part, 12, and immediately adjacent to the front aperture therethrough, I provide a lug, t, to engage the link or clevis 4.

Through the rear perforation or aperture, and through a corresponding hole in the rear end of the latch, is the operating rod or lever, 7. This operating-rod is pivoted at its lower end to a substantially-horizontal lever, 5, which lies in the bottom recess in the casing, and which is pivoted thereto by a pin, l0, which is passed transversely through it and through the sides of the casing. This lever 5 has also pivoted to it at the front end a vertical lever, c, which passes upward through the hole in the front part of the wall 12, and is designed to release the link or clevis from engagement with the lug b.

The operating-lever is provided with a nut, 6, which is loose thereon, so as to allow of limited vertical movement; but it is held from being pushed too far upon the rod either by means of apin or toggle passed through ahole in the rod or by means of a suitable threaded nut. The lever 7 is also surrounded by a spiral spring, a.' one end of which rests against the under side of the latch, and the other end rests against the top of the middle wall, l2, or in a recess formed therein. The clevis orlink is preferably made with a central transverse bar, and its ends are wedge-shaped, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 so that it will couple the more readily. The nut 6 may also be beveled at its lower end, as shown, although this is not absolutely necessary. The coupler is attached to the frame-Work or buffer of the car by means of the arm 8.

When the coupler is designed for use on a passenger-car, it will be made with the operating-lever short, or substantially as shown in the drawings, and will be operated by the foot, and a foot piece or rest may be provided on top of the rod or lever. For freight-cars, I prefer either to extend the lever 7 to the top of the car, or to attach to it a transverseV arm or lever to extend to the side ofthe car, from which points it may be operated, so that in any `event it is unnecessary to go between the cars IOO box 011 the adjacent ear is without the link. \Vhen the cars are run together, the wedge shaped end of the coupling-link raises the correspondingly wedgeshaped end of the latch, and the link engages with the' lug b and is held in engagement, or, rather, prevented from uncoupling by means of the spring a., which holds the latch down over it, and it will be apparent that the parts will be coupled whether the link isin astraight line ornot. To uneonple, thelever 7 is pressed downward against the tension of the spring, and this pressure raises the front end of the pivoted lever 5 and the vertical lever c, which raises the end of the link or elevis above the projection or lug b and allows it to escape and the car to be unconpled.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A ear-coupler comprising the box or easin g with the top and bottom recessed portions,

the pivoted top latch, the operating mechanism consisting of the vertical rod 7, provided with a nut and spring, the transverse arm or lever 5, and the vertical rod or arm c, the lug b, and a suitable clevis or coupling-link, substantially as set forth.

2. A ear-coupler consisting of the box or casing with recessed top and bottom, the latch pivoted in the top recess, the uncoupling devices comprising the rod or arm 7, provided with a spring and nut, the transverse arm 5, and the vertical rodc, the lug b, and the coupling-link with wedge-shaped ends, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN RUTIIERFORD KIRKSEY.

"Witnesses:

J. E. Hoon, L. L. DIETZ. 

